Year Of The Dog
by Catarinamer
Summary: The benevolent Amaterasu watches over all of her subjects, be they daiyokai, hanyou, children, or mikos. A story told in one-shots.
1. Chapter 1

"Do you wait for me, young yokai?" A coy, melodic voice asked, lightly dancing on the sound of the waves.

The yokai turned to her and, recognizing instantly who she was, bowed. The goddess joined his side and stared out across her youngest brother's realm.

"You will not have to wait long," she continued. "I promise I will raise my light. Perhaps I will raise it early, if you ask me to."

"Amaterasu-omikami," the daiyokai said slowly and emotionlessly, but respectfully. "Why do you grace a yokai with your company?"

She smiled slightly as she stared at the horizon. She would not do the action for a long time after this event.

The sun goddess did not answer him. Her white kimono began to glow, subtly at first as dawn shyly spread its light.

"Isn't it odd, young yokai?" He was not used to not being treated without utmost respect – or utter terror – and she knew it. However, he could not find himself to be annoyed with her. "It can be said that my light is most beautiful when I rise over the ocean. However, the ocean belongs to a brother I am estranged with." The sun goddess put a clawed finger to her chin, in a thinking pose.

"At other times, his storms hide my light. I can outshine his clouds and am more revered by the humans. It is only in the quiet times, I think, when no one looks, when we can be in peace."

The daiyokai stayed silent for a moment, thinking over what she meant. Perhaps she was giving him hints, carefully placed and to be discovered at a later date. Perhaps she was simply saying what was on her mind.

The goddess slowly shone over the Earth, urging the humans to wake and the nocturnal yokai to rest. Warmth dripped off of her, and the daiyokai almost reveled in it, regardless how her sheer presence made the air thick with a holy quality that stung at his instincts and senses. Her kimono and hair – much longer than the daiyokai's, who already had a considerable length – blazed with white. Her red markings were the colour of the red, waking sky.

The odd duo watched silently.

Finally, after what felt like hours to the daiyokai and seconds to the goddess, the sun hung in a blue sky instead of a red, multicolored one.

The goddess turned to the daiyokai, who still did not want to leave. "Young yokai, I think you have done enough waiting. Perhaps someone is waiting for you. It's your turn to rise."

Amaterasu watched as the daiyokai inhaled deeply, and turned to her. Sesshomaru bowed deeply for the last time in his long life, and strode soundlessly into the forest.

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><p>AN: Why is it that this cross over seems only logical to me? Ah, well. I'll usually prefer to use Japanese words if English has no perfect equivalent, like yokai == demons. Because Amaterasu is technically also a yokai and very much not a demon, though I will use the term goddess. Oh, if I get anything wrong, be it historical details or things about Okami and/or Inuyasha, please tell me! I'll look like an idiot otherwise. XD

Also, I'm mixing Okami and actual Japanese mythology here, hence Amaterasu's younger brother. Also note that Amaterasu (and Chibiterasu) won't always be in human form. They can switch.

In any case, please be patient with me if it takes a long time inbetween updates. Don't be afraid to yell at me for it! I write more when I think that people actually read my stuff. XD


	2. Chapter 2

Rin knelt carefully over the water, hiking her kimono up and tying it securely. There had to be a fish in here somewhere…

Ah! Rin grinned happily. There was one, rather large, not too far from her. Finally, she got an extra lucky break! She wouldn't have to stand for hours or navigate a particularly angry stream just for some lunch!

Until something smashed into her side, causing her to fall into the stream. The fish promptly swam away.

Supremely annoyed, Rin jumped up…only to slip again on the slick rocks. She whimpered as she landed on her hip.

And something warm suddenly thrust itself right under her chin.

"Wah!" She yelped, falling backwards yet _again_. Furious and soaking wet, she faced her attacker.

A puppy sat before her on one of the flat rocks, white fur gleaming and tail wagging.

She melted.

"Puppy!" she cried excitedly. Crawling towards the puppy, she squealed, "Oh, you're so cute! …But you're not very nice, are you? That was really mean!" She pouted.

The puppy looked horrified. He barked. Maybe an apology.

"Yes, well," Rin smiled again a bit. "Maybe I forgive you."

The little pup licked her face happily, and she giggled. Rin scooped up the white puppy. "Let's go see if Sesshomaru-sama will let me keep you!"

The puppy barked again, this time a little more uncertain.

"I'll name you Fluffy!"

Evidently, that's when the pup decided that things had gotten out of hand. He wiggled and jumped out of Rin's grip – much to her surprise – and sprinted off.

Now Rin didn't have a fish or a puppy.

…Today was just not a good day for her.

* * *

><p>Poor Rin. We all have those day. At least this chapter is better. The first was kinda of a ...sketchy quality. :I<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Sango, demon-slayer, was pregnant twice in her life, and she could testify that she'd rather fight the vicious yokai than give birth. The first time was by far worse – she'd had twins on top of never having experienced it before. It was a good thing Kagome was by the taijiya's side with her future knowledge of medicine to comfort and help her through it.

But Sango was convinced that it wasn't just the medicine, or her strength, or Miroku's love that helped her through.

Because, both times, a white wolf sat outside the house as if guarding it. And both times, after the ordeal was over with, Sango had dreams of a white-haired woman with the sun in her hands.

She tried mentioning the wolf to Miroku, but he claimed that he hadn't seen it, and he'd been standing right in the line of sight of the wolf. Kagome hadn't seen anything either. Perhaps it was her exhaustion that had led her to see it.

It was only occasionally, when the children were snuggled up together sleeping, that Sango remembered this. Only occasionally would the image of the beautiful young woman with the white hair grace her mind's eye.


End file.
